Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-02-07

same, and do the best l could, l was
not able to throw it off. Well, we
had got a pretty good distance in
the mountains, and with that light
load 49 didn't make nothin' of the up
grades.
Perhaps, gentlemen, you have new
er been through the hills in winter.
It's somewhat different from summer,
l can tell yer. The mountains loom
up dark and solemn, and with their
snow-covered sides they seem kinder
like big glum giants that have turned
to stone standing guard over the val
lev. The silence and desolation sort
of awes one, and it don't seem right
to go shrieking and screaming along
their sides in the dead o night. This
time it was worse than ever. The
wind swept down the valley with
roar that could be heard above the
rush of the train. 1t whistled and
yelled at the cab windows, and blew
the rain and sleet so hard agin the
winder frame / could scarcely see the
short distance lit by the headlight.
The great trees rocked to and fro and
seemed to hold out their arms in
warning. 1t was a solemn place for
any one, and felt it, particularly as
l had this awful weight of anxiety on
my mind that had been a-growin'
stronger and stronger each minute.
We had passed Bartlett's goin'
through there at a pretty good jog,
when like a fash of lightning, the
parting words of my wife came back
to me: BE careful at that Curve
Mountain Cut =
That set me to thinkin'. Could
this be a presentiment of some dis
aster? Was there something the mat
ter with the cut?
Nonsense says /. I'm a natur-
al born fool. If anything was wrong
the train two hours ahead would have
found it out and signalled me at
Bartlett's. I'll think Of it no more
but tend to business
But in spite of me, BE careful at
the Curve Mountain Gut kept com
in into my head even the wind
seemed to shrek it. / pictured to
myself broken rail and a yawning
gulf oni each side. What a terri
bic accident it would make
what a frightful chasm in which to
plunge! Then l remembered Nell,
and the queer look that came over
her face when she gave me that sin
gular caution, BE careful at the
Curve Mountain Cut We was a
nearin' the cnt sure enough. On the
up grade 40 was making about twen-
ty miles an hour, and in less than ten
minutes we would be past the cut, or
i caught my breath, for at that
moment those warning words flashed
into my mind once more,
If I'm ever to be cured of such
stuff, says ] to myself, 'now's my
chance. What could Nell know
about the cut? I'll put her through
at full speed
A tall white birch that stood on a
spur Of the mountain was the land
mark which showed me that we was
comm to the straight piece which led
through the cut. l put my hand on
the throttle to pull open the valve,
when
Well, gentlemen, don't suppose
you'll believe, but as true as Pm
standin' here, my wife's voice seemed
to whisper in my ear, Not that one
Bob-the brake =
1t gave me such a start that before
l knew what ! did i had opened the
WestinghOuse for all she was worth,
and the train came to a standstill in
less than two lengths. Not waitin'
to answer any questions from Dan, /
jumped off the cab and rushed up
the track nearly to the cut and walk
ed along until nearly reached the
other side. Not thing was out of
place, every rail secure, and the cut
was all right so far as / noticed.
Idiot! ? cried l, so much for your
foolish nonsense. This freak will
cost you your job
By this time the conductor and
brakemen had, with a number Of
passengers, came ont TO see what
was the matter. How the boys would
laugh, / thought; / should never
hear the last of it. was just going
to sneak back to the cab when / no.
ticed something peculiar, which
seemed like the trunk of a tree blown
down right acrost the rails. Going
few steps further noticed that Il
was not a tree at all, but hinge
stick of timber deliberately placed
across the rails, and fastened down
in such position as would surely
throw train from the track, and
down a fearful precipice Of some hun
dreds of feet on the left among the
rocks.
/ tell you, boys, it made my hair
stand on end. In two minutes that
whole train and them directors would
have gone off the edge of that cliff,
and not one would have lived 10 tell
about it.
What's the row. BobF says the
conductor.
Row enough, SAYS / look at
! that ] reckon I pulled her uD lust